halloween – Visit London Bloghttp://blog.visitlondon.com
Enjoy the very best of LondonThu, 19 Jan 2017 14:20:32 +0000en-GBhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.5Visiting the Past: Traitors’ Heads on Old London Bridgehttp://blog.visitlondon.com/2013/10/visiting-the-past-traitors-heads-on-old-london-bridge/
http://blog.visitlondon.com/2013/10/visiting-the-past-traitors-heads-on-old-london-bridge/#commentsWed, 23 Oct 2013 09:00:58 +0000http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=35809

As Halloween looms, London is likely to be awash with people dressed as zombies and other members of the ‘undead’. Less than 400 years ago, you could have witnessed the genuinely ghoulish sight of the rotting heads of traitors, stuck up on poles on Old London Bridge.

The first recorded head displayed on London Bridge was that of William Wallace, the Scottish patriot executed in 1305 for fighting against the English rule of King Edward I. From then on, heads were shown on the Drawbridge Gate before they were moved to the Great Stone Gate at the southern end of the bridge in 1577. A Keeper of the Heads had the job of looking after the rotting skulls, which were often par-boiled and dipped in tar to preserve them.

Tudor visitors to London recorded the grisly sight in their travel journals. In 1592, one German visitor saw a total of 34 heads on display. The political and religious upheavals of the 16th century led to the execution of many people and a ready supply of heads for London Bridge, including Henry VIII’s ministers Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell.

Bishop John Fisher, who refused to accept Henry VIII as head of the Church, was executed in 1535. His head was displayed on the bridge for 14 days and instead of decomposing “grew daily fresher and fresher, so that in his life time he never looked so well”. So many people visited London Bridge to view this macabre miracle that it caused serious traffic jams. The head was discreetly thrown in the river at night to end these disturbances.

The practice of exhibiting traitors’ heads on London Bridge continued into the 17th century (the heads of Guy Fawkes and the other Gunpowder Plot conspirators are famous examples) but it finally ceased in the 1670s.

Find out more about 16th and 17th century London at the Museum of London’s Medieval London and War, Plague and Fire galleries.

Learn more about the legendary Tower of London in Tudor Times by watching Tower Beefeater Barney Chandler sharing his London Story. Watch this video for a chance to win a dream trip to London for two. Find out more here.

]]>http://blog.visitlondon.com/2013/10/visiting-the-past-traitors-heads-on-old-london-bridge/feed/3Top Five London Halloween Eventshttp://blog.visitlondon.com/2013/10/top-five-london-halloween-events/
Tue, 08 Oct 2013 14:36:12 +0000http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=35642Scare yourself silly in London this Halloween by checking out one of the city’s spooky happenings.

What: Celebrate the best in musical and classic horror flicks at this three-day fright-fest that features Halloween-themed food and drink, sing and dance-a-longs, fashionably frightening dressing-up boxes, pumpkin carving and apple bobbing. Film screenings include Halloween, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and A Nightmare on Elm Street.

What: Halloween revellers can meet the fiendish Sweeney Todd and a supporting cast of historical characters at what the London Dungeon reckons is its biggest, best and boldest Halloween season yet. Expect a double-dose of Halloween scares and laughs including The London Dungeon’s own Halloween home brew and a ghastly trick or treat lolly for every guest.

What: Families are invited to join the ghoulish fun at the London Eye‘s Witch Academy. On the Halloween Storytelling Capsule, kids can join the High Witch to take on the ghastly Grimly Grim (voiced by family favourite Harry Enfield) and help to foil his plans to steal the Crown Jewels. Every graduate of the Witch Academy will receive a special badge of honour and join the Witch Academy Alumni.

What: London Zoo is set to come creeping to life with a string of Halloween-themed special events, including spooky storytelling, frightening face painting and menacing mask-making. Visitors can also enjoy special Halloween versions of the zoo’s popular animal talks, feeds and demonstrations.

What: Wine tasting destination Vinopolis will be stirring up a selection of spine-tingling Halloween potions in their Cocktail Making Masterclass. Test your magic with one of the experts as they teach you the tricks of the trade in order to concoct just the right mix of hair-raising ingredients, leaving you with some fiendish cocktails to try on your friends at home.

]]>Whatâ€™s On In London This Weekend. 26-28 October 2012http://blog.visitlondon.com/2012/10/whats-on-in-london-this-weekend-26-28-october-2012/
Thu, 25 Oct 2012 09:30:31 +0000http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=29765

This weekend is full of fantastic opportunities to use your imagination. Dress up for Halloween, take a seat in one of TV’s most notorious hotels or pretend it’s snowing and get into the aprÃ¨s ski spirit. Failing that, grab some popcorn and watch MI6’s finest in his 23rd adventure!

Relentless Energy Drink Freeze Festival at Battersea Power StationGet ready for winter at this fast-paced ski and snowboard show, where you’ll see some of the world’s top winter sportsmen perform astounding feats next to Battersea Power Station. After the stunts are over, sink into the aprÃ¨s ski atmosphere and enjoy a fantastic programme of live music. Adult tickets start from £40. 26-27 Oct.

Faulty Towers, the Dining Experience at the Charing Cross HotelFans of John Cleese’s classic sitcom Fawlty Towers will adore this hilarious dining and theatrical experience. Guests take a seat in the “restaurant of the Faulty Towers hotel”, where they will be served a three-course meal in a predictably haphazard and hugely entertaining style. Tickets start from £43.50. From 26 Oct.

Skyfall, at cinemas across LondonBuckle up for 007’s latest thrilling adventure, Skyfall. Most London cinemas will be screening the film, which -according to advance reviews- will definitely leave you shaken and stirred.

NFL Fan Rally, Trafalgar SquarePrepare for Sunday’s exciting NFL game at Wembley Stadium with this free fan rally. American football fans will be treated to live entertainment, including musical performances and special appearances from players, coaches and celebrities. Stalls around the square will be offering food, drink and exclusive merchandise. 12pm-5pm, 27 Oct.

Diwali on the Square, Trafalgar SquareCelebrate the Festival of Lights at this free event in Trafalgar Square. The colourful festival features fun for all the family, including light displays, music, dance and tempting food stalls. 28 Oct.

]]>Stage Fright 2012: Top Halloween Theatre in Londonhttp://blog.visitlondon.com/2012/10/stage-fright-2012-top-halloween-theatre-in-london/
Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:00:31 +0000http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=29627London has gone Halloween crazy this year, with loads of special events taking place across the city. If you’re looking for something different to spook you this year, why not check out one of London’s super-scary theatre shows celebrating All Hallows’ Eve?

Drowning Rock at the Camden People’s Theatre, 16 Oct-4 NovThis ghostly tale set in a remote lighthouse is inspired by cult author HP Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Drowning Rock dwells on the mysterious and dark forces beyond the understanding of humankind. Again, this show isn’t for the faint-hearted: Camden People’s Theatre recommend it for audiences aged 15 and older.cptheatre.co.uk

The London Horror Festival at the Etcetera Theatre, 15 Oct-7 NovFor four weeks, the Etcetera Theatre in Camden is being taken over by a broad range of performers bringing the best in horror theatre, comedy, magic and performance art, â€œfrom psychological spine-chillers to all-out splatterâ€, according to their website. Highlights include The Puppetry of Flesh (23-25 Oct); Zombie Science: Worst Case Scenario (29-31 Oct) and the One Man Halloween (2-4 Nov).londonhorrorfestival.com

The Horror! The Horror! at Wilton’s Music Hall, 24 Oct-7 NovPresented by Theatre of the Damned and part of The London Horror Festival, The Horror! The Horror! is a promenade performance through the historic cobwebs of Wilton’s Music Hall. It promises a “blood-soaked evening of murder, mayhem and bellowing madness, combining London’s rich history of music hall entertainment, the ancient horrors of HP Lovecraft and a cornucopia of Victorian gothic nightmares”. Sounds excellent.londonhorrorfestival.com/the-horror-the-horror

The Good Neighbour Halloween Special at BAC, 31 OctBAC is presenting an adult-only version of family show The Good Neighbour for Halloween. You can explore the dark and dusty passages of Battersea’s old Town Hall: either fight your way through the cobwebs in search of a lost memory, or take an eerie moonlit tour of the streets of Battersea with the strangest brass band you’ve ever seen. After your journey, join in the Council Chamber-based Halloween party complete with spooky cocktails and DJ.bac.org.uk/whats-on/good-neighbour-halloween-special

Halloween Fun at the Polka Theatre, 30-31 OctWith all these adult-only shows, you might be thinking Halloween theatre’s not for kids. However, the ever-brilliant Polka Theatre has a couple of fab workshops for little ones, meaning everyone can get into the Halloween spirit. On 30 October, there’s a Halloween themed make-up session for 7-11 year olds; and on 31 October, you can create Halloween light sculptures, laterns and ghostly shadow puppets in a creepy, craft workshop for 5-7 year olds.polkatheatre.com/editorial/take-part

Brain Wash Presents Fright Night at Curzon Soho: 28 Oct
Don your most gruesome fancy dress for a night of DJs, VJs and drinks and a rare screening of Tom Holland’s Fright Night (1985) at Curzon Soho. Regularly voted as one of the greatest horror films of all time, Fright Night follows one boy’s mission to prove that his neighbour is a vampire. The fun starts at the bar from 9pm, with the screening from 11.30pm.www.curzoncinemas.com/fright-night-a-halloween-spooktacular

Halloween Screamings, The Round Chapel, Hackney: 28, 30 & 31 OctFrom the creators of the Rooftop Cinema Club comes a short season of creepy classics, including The Exorcist (1973), The Omen (1976) and Halloween (1978), on the 28, 30 and 31 October. Doors open at 6.45pm and there’s a licensed bar – serving spirits no doubt.experiencecinema.com

Or perhaps you’d prefer The Living Room’s spine-tingling Zombie, Corpse Reviver or Blood & Sand cocktails? (These cocktails are a little tamer: despite the names there are no creepy ingredients.)

Over at Gelupo in Soho, you can enjoy a Sanguinaccio gelato, made from chocolate, pigs’ blood and Marsala. Or head to Harrods for some more traditional treats: chocolates in the shape of witches, ghosts, pumpkins, skulls and eyeballs.

Even cupcakes are going spooky this Halloween. There’s a devilishly delicious selection available at The Hummingbird Bakery, topped with spiders’ webs, monsters, ghosts and pumpkins.

AAGGHH! It’s Alive! comes to Fortnum & Mason’s Demonstration Kitchen on 27 October. You can find out how to make scary Halloween dishes, from finger pies to worm cakes, perfect for Halloween parties.

Or pop into Carluccio’s for some terrifyingly good gifts for trick-or-treaters, including pumpkin lollies, ghost and pumpkin biscuits, ghost meringues, bat biscuits, Halloween jellies and chocolate pumpkins.

Happy Halloween!

]]>Celebrate Halloween in London with a Terrifying Trip to the Theatrehttp://blog.visitlondon.com/2011/10/celebrate-halloween-in-london-with-a-terrifying-trip-to-the-theatre/
Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:00:56 +0000http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=23478Halloween is here again! If you’re looking for something different to spook you this year, why not check out one of London’s super-scary theatre shows celebrating All Hallows’ Eve?

Terror Season at the Soho Theatre: 19 Oct-5 NovHead down to Soho Downstairs, a new underground comedy and cabaret venue for the Soho Theatre’s annual season of horror theatre. Prepare to be terrified and thrilled by an evening of twisted tales, cabaret and Halloween oddities at this controversial sell-out event. Hosted by Desmond O’Connor and Merrill Grant, look out for special guests Jonny Woo, Dusty Limits, Laura Corcoran from Frisky and Mannish, and Fancy Chance.www.sohotheatre.com/whats-on/terror

Festival of the Dead at the Battersea Arts Centre: 28-29 OctThe Nabokov Arts Club is taking over Battersea Arts Centre, filling the whole space with two consecutive nights of Halloween madness. Festival of the Dead promises to be an extravaganza of live theatre, music, comedy, dance and visual art, all wrapped up into a big party. Highlights include storytelling and poetry, comic theatre with Bad Physics and the Curious Directive, and an immersive theatrical event by Nabokov, Tangled Feet and award-winning playwright Polly Stenham.www.bac.org.uk/whats-on/nabokov-arts-club

London Horror Festival at the Courtyard Theatre: 25 Oct-27 NovMore than just a Halloween theatre show, the London Horror Festival presents five weeks’ of dark and challenging performing arts. As well as the Theatre of the Damned’s Revenge of the Grand Guignol, there’s also a performance by Le Nouveau Guignol, the world’s only permanent repertory horror theatre company.www.londonhorrorfestival.com

All Hallows at the Fan Museum: 31 Oct-1 NovA terrifying new play called All Hallows: A Play About Fear receives its premiere reading at the Fan Museum this Halloween. Five professional actors present a story covering more than 120 years of unexpected and decidedly chilling events. Adult themes mean this show isn’t suitable for young people under 16, or those of a nervous disposition. You have been warned!thefanmuseum.org.uk/events

The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre: booking until 2012One of the longest running West End shows ever, The Woman in Black still continues to haunt everyone who sees it. Head to the Fortune Theatre this Halloween to see one of the most exciting, spooky, gripping and successful theatre shows ever staged. The Woman in Black isn’t gory or filled with gruesome horror, but as the drama and tension build, you’ll still find your spine totally chilled by the terrifying, ghostly truths unfolding on stage.www.thewomaninblack.com

]]>Halloween Club Nights in London 2011http://blog.visitlondon.com/2011/10/halloween-club-nights-in-london-2011/
http://blog.visitlondon.com/2011/10/halloween-club-nights-in-london-2011/#commentsFri, 14 Oct 2011 10:00:37 +0000http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=23361There are just two weeks left until things start to go bump in the night and Halloween is upon us.

With the holiday falling on a Monday, most London clubs are hosting their Halloween fun on Saturday 29 October. And as the clocks go back on Sunday, there’s a whole extra hour of freakish fun to be had! So dig out your witches hat and take a look at our pick of Halloween club nights in London:

Feeling Gloomy: Gloomy Halloween Spooktacular
DJ Grim Reaper and a Depeche Mode tribute act will ensure a hauntingly good night, along with the usual “misery pop” at The O2 Academy 2 Islington .Advance tickets from £4.50 (club only), gig tickets £9. Book now

The Monster Raving Kigu Party
Get in on the Kigu craze at a secret London location. The Monster Raving Kigu Party promises Halloween-themed party games, £2 cocktails, the best underground music and general silliness! You don’t have to turn up in an animal suit, but fancy dress of some sort is compulsory. Tickets £15. Book now

Belle Epoque Halloween Special
Journey back to 19th century Paris and sample the delights of the Green Fairy at Belle Epoque’s Halloween Special. Advance tickets £20. Book now

A short walk from Euston station, the Mexican restaurant Mestizo offers a great taste of Mexico without any need to leave NW1.

When I visited on Friday, I was greeted by an exquisite, colourful, intricately decorated altar. This Dia de los Muertos altar (an altar for the Mexican Day of the Dead, our Halloween) contains all the traditional elements required for such a display: candles, salt, earth, sugar skulls, marigolds, water, tequila, and photos and favourite foods of the “dear departed” are all presented on the traditional seven steps, and swathed in a bright orange cut paper backcloth.

Our host, Brian, had created the altar that day, along with Luz Elena Ruesga (the wife of Sr Ignacio Duran, the Minister of Culture at the Mexican Embassy), her friend Alejandro Guajardo, and UK-based Mexican artist Javier Calderon.

Over a delicious frozen margarita, Brian explained Mestizo’s position as one of London’s most authentic Mexican restaurants. As well as being owned by Mexicans, and having a female head chef from Mexico (Dalcy Aguilera), Mestizo’s staff are also from Mexico. When the Mexican Embassy hosts events, they’ll often use Mestizo as caterers. When Mexican sports teams are in town, they choose Mestizo for their post-match celebrations. And with more than 200 varieties of tequila, surely more than any other restaurant / bar in London, Mestizo’s unique credentials are there for everyone to see, taste, and knock back in a variety of simple shot glasses.

Pop in, and you can take your pick from traditional dishes like Guajolote en Mole Poblano, Crepas de Cuitlacoche and authentic Tacos in soft flour or corn tortillas loaded with your choice of delicious fillings. You won’t be disappointed.

Aside from the fantastic food and drink on offer, Mestizo also hosts cultural events. From tomorrow, there’ll be a fantastic exhibition of original photos from the famous Casasola Archive of the Mexican revolution, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the revolution. And on 20 November, the Dia de la Revolucion itself, don’t miss Mestizo’s special commemoration party, in the event space downstairs from the restaurant.

Do you have any more tips for finding a taste of Mexico in London? Let us know in the comments below.

]]>http://blog.visitlondon.com/2010/11/mexico-in-london-mestizos-dia-de-los-muertos-and-dia-de-la-revolucion/feed/7White Mischief: The Haunted Ballroom at Scala. Visit London Asks: What did you do for Halloween?http://blog.visitlondon.com/2010/11/white-mischief-the-haunted-ballroom-at-scala-visit-london-asks-what-did-you-do-for-halloween/
Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:01:45 +0000http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=16455

The steampunk extravaganza had a great line-up of entertainment including comedian Nina Conti, singer David McAlmont and neo-burlesque artist Empress Stah.

I was happily surprised that my very favourite cabaret entertainer Dusty Limits was hosting the evening. As usual, he had the best make up, songs and jokes and almost made me want the main acts off the stage so I could see more of him!

We also had lots of fun watching Mac Abbe et le Zombi Orchestra, meeting a man-eating plant and dancing to a few golden oldies in the Devil’s Dance room.

So what did my fellow White Mischief-goers think of the night?

“What a great evening. I was amazed by the effort that everyone had put into their costumes. Imagination was certainly not in short supply. I’ll definitely be back. Well done White Mischief!”
Gillian, 29, Herne Hill

“A good time had by all. Full marks to the David Bowie impersonator for his costume.”
Ben, 28

“Any Halloween event that promises a “Zombi Orchestra” is clearly looking to make a big impact, and White Mischief didnt disappoint. The evening had a great atmosphere and some brilliant live acts, and was really made by the effort that guests went to with fancy dress. There can’t be many events where David Bowie can be found cavorting next to a zebra….” Sarah, 27, Essex